#2: The Offseason

Many athletes have a love/hate relationship with the offseason: those few weeks we might take off the bike, trails or roads after our season ends and before the next training cycle starts. For those of us who love the process and routine of training (not to mention the endorphin hit), the offseason can be seen as a negative (or perhaps even unnecessary) stage of training. We are anxious to get back to training, feel like we’ve lost all of our fitness, and maybe are just plain bored. For other athletes, particularly those who much prefer the thrill of racing to the doldrums of training, the offseason can be quite liberating. A few weeks of throwing out the training diet and having more free time and energy can open up a lot of opportunities for activities and adventures…

Whichever camp you fall into, an offseason period is an important component of a yearly training cycle, and one that shouldn’t be ignored. While there is certainly a fear of losing fitness during this period, that’s a feature, not a bug. As athletes we simply can’t expect to maintain our top form year-round, mentally and physically. Just as we engineer our training to create a peaking period where we are at our absolute best, we should also engineer in a period where we allow for complete rest and rejuvenation, where we can “turn off” for a while and rest. Even if this offseason period comes at the expense of a loss of fitness in the short term (which I’d argue is unlikely since your body will still be supercompensating from the stresses of the season’s end), you’ll still be starting your next training cycle well above where you started the last one, and this will allow you to reach new heights later on! 

A quick note on diet and body composition: both of these factors are highly individual, so I will hesitate to make any specific recommendations, but there are a few points worth mentioning. I believe that one’s “training diet” during the season should be one that is sustainable and satisfying, and thus should not really need a “free-for-all” period afterwards to recover from it (looking at you, Jan Ullrich). But you should certainly allow yourself to indulge a bit during the offseason if you choose to. I would however recommend staying within 5-7% of your racing weight to avoid having to focus on losing weight as training resumes, which would impact energy availability for training. A minor gain of weight ensures the body is in an anabolic state during the offseason, and makes sure it has the necessary energy available to super compensate from the season’s stress and raise your fitness baseline. 

Typically, between 2-4 weeks is what I would consider a “standard” for an offseason break, and the duration should be proportional to the length, intensity and training volume of the previous season. I think it’s safe to take longer if you find yourself still lacking in motivation by the end of the period. I’d still recommend some light activity during this period, as it will allow for a smoother transition back to training once it is over, but there should be no intense or structured work whatsoever. Light rides, runs, hikes, and/or any form of cross training you find fun are ideal. I’d even suggest trying new activities that you might not otherwise have the time or energy for during the season. Not only will your body benefit from moving in new ways, but you might even find a new activity that you enjoy, and even want to work into your schedule for the next season! 

Convinced yet? I hope this helps some of us kick back, relax, and start building your appetite for the next training cycle.